Please remove Schedule 10:…

Please remove Schedule 10: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing from Bill 66, which allows municipalities to override provisions in the Greenbelt Act, Clean Water Act, Lake Simcoe Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and Great Lakes Protection Act. Conservation is a priority and we need to encourage creative solutions to construct an economy that lives within the confines of nature’s boundaries.

Please remove Schedule 5: Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks from Bill 66, which seeks to repeal the Toxics Reduction Act that supports Ontario’s commitment to reduce toxic substances in air, land and water, protecting the environment and human health; informing Ontarians about prescribed toxic sustances in their communities, and focuses on reducing the use and creation of these toxic substances at the front end of the manufacturing process. Less oversight is not the answer.

Please remove Schedule 4: Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines from Bill 66, which seeks to repeal the authority of the Ontario Energy Board to set rates for Unit Sub Metering Providers. The OEB aligns the needs of a sustainable, financially viable electricity sector, with the expectations of customers who want reliable service at a reasonable price.

Please remove Schedule 3: Ministry of Education from Bill 66, which seeks to remove restrictions on home-based child care providers, including allowing additional children. The current guidelines of caring for a total of five children in your own home, including your own children under the age of six, and caring for a maximum of two children under the age of two (including your own child), is sufficient and protects vulnerable children. The province should seek alternatives for helping parents find affordable child care, that doesn’t increase the risk to child safety.

Please amend Schedule 2: Ministry of the Attorney General in Bill 66, which seeks to repeal the Pawnbrokers Act; police have been asking pawn brokers to keep a digital registry of people who bring in items for sale. The Pawnbrokers Act needs an update to support easily identifying property that is stolen. I’ve personally experienced a home break-in and the loss of a gold watch inscribed with my name on the back, faced with the impossible task of visiting every pawn broker in the GTA to try and recover my property.